Finding Beauty in the Heart

All of those Models we see in Magazines, Signs, in Commercials might be real people but they have had a lot of work done. There is so much behind the scenes that we know nothing about. Here is a video to prove it.

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909

The Women and Models that little girls look up to can't be considered as role models. I feel so sorry for girls who try to compare themselves to them when it is impossible to do!!!

The world revolves around beauty, everyone revolves around beauty.



That is why all these beauty companies make so much money. They get women to believe that if you buy their product you will be beautiful. No matter what they do, women will never be beautiful enough in their eyes. We, as children of God, should focus ourselves on the beauty of our heart. How we present ourselves through our actions is way more important. I'm not saying women shouldn't take care of themselves and be sloppy. We just obsess over ourselves, spending hours looking in our full length mirrors trying to figure out what is wrong with us and how we could be if only we had longer hair, a smaller nose, a better tan, to just be skinny...etc. The list goes on and on. Rather, spend all of that other time with Jesus. He brings the joy out in us. :)

What's Wrong with the World?; What's Wrong with Me?

"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." -John 12:25

I don't know everything, but I think I can assume correctly that none of us have any significant addictions. My parents and everyone else can sigh with relief as I say loud and proud--no, I am not addicted to drugs or alcohol. However, I find that I am addicted to something probably even worse than those:

Myself.

There's always one main thing I learn from our reading. When we were in Proverbs, the big thing that stuck out to me was wisdom. Now in John, I think what I'm learning the most is humility and denying myself. For so long, it seems like I've been so into myself lately. Sometimes, instead of praying for an array of things such as my family, church, etc., I fill the entire prayer crying out for myself, saying, "Why does life have to be so difficult? Why can't I have more good friends (I am so thankful for Grace; why can't there be more people like her??)? Why can't I write any good music or play my instruments well enough? Why does so-and-so have to be in the government? Why doesn't the world understand?" I know my problems are probably not like other peoples' problems, but everyone has their own. I understand David cried out to God as well, and there is nothing wrong with praying for yourself and venting out frustration to God. However, it does become a problem when you begin to focus only on your problems. Here is my main problem: what is wrong with the world?

It was during my Bible class when I began to see that it wasn't the world that was the problem; it was me. The Bible teacher on my DVD stated that self-pity is selfish. It's selfish to always be concerned about yourself. Jesus was the ultimate of example of denying self. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, entered the world, not in a glittering carriage or limousine, but in a dirty manger, born to average, unknown parents whom He created yet had to obey even though he could easily wipe them off the face of the earth. He was rejected in his hometown, most people only loved Him because He could heal, and on the night He was arrested, a time when He was going through unbearable anguish, He prayed in the garden--alone, while His disciples slept on. Jesus never focused on Himself, only on His Father, on others--on us.

Now the problem changes: it's not "what's wrong with the world?"; it's "what's wrong with me?" Perhaps, rather than focusing on myself and how others can change for me, I should focus on others and how I can change for them. We are to be like Jesus. If Jesus was a servant, then I should be a servant as well. Instead of waiting for people to give to me, I will give to them first. The best way to escape the valley is to climb the mountains beside. It's not easy, but it's better.

"When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself, and curse my fate,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least:

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee,--and then my state

Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings"

- William Shakespeare ("Sonnet 29")

On Morality and the Actual Existence of God

I know the title seems like this blog is going to go into some deep territory; but when you are involved in the Abeka curriculum, a fan of someone named Stephen Christian, and reading books like The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, all that philosophy starts getting to you. I would have to say it is both mind-boggling and satisfying. This is something I am really big about right now. I want to learn more, especially when it comes to God.

About half of the teenage Christians in America today are not solid in their faith. Sure, they have accepted Jesus in their heart and know all the answers to all the questions the church-people ask, but they never stopped to think, "Why do I believe this? Is this really the truth?" (Now, be careful if you ask yourself this question. We will not understand everything about God, but that does not mean we stop believing in Him just because we don't understand something about Him. If you were to ask this question, ask it with the mindset that Jesus is the truth, not with the mindset that something else may be the truth.)


Christianity is not just a religion just like all the other religions. God is real. God exists. He is actually there whether we like it or not. I do not believe that Christianity is just "I believe in God" and that is the end of it. We need to know what we believe, and why we believe it. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."



There are many things that seem to prove that God exists, but I will just focus on one for right now: the existence of morality. Let us just temporarily think like an atheist: there is no God. Now that we have that settled, let us ask this question: "How did people know what was right and what was wrong?" C.S. Lewis put it this way in Mere Christianity, "Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it." It seems like people just decided somewhere deep inside of them what was right and what was wrong. Murder is wrong. That is not an opinion; it is a fact. If we see someone declare that murder is right, we strongly disagree. It is not right, which means that our morality is better than that person's morality. Lewis also said, "If your moral ideas can be truer, and those of the Nazis less true, there must be something--some Real Morality--for them to be true about." What does this mean? It means that there is such thing as absolute truth, and there is no other place absolute truth could have come from except for a higher, more intelligent Being.



Sorry, I make things so long. After all, I am a girl, and girls like to elaborate on things. I hope it all made sense and strengthened your belief that God really does exist. If it did not make sense, feel free to say so in a comment, and I will try my very best to explain it better. I am not at all smarter than anyone else; I am just learning. JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!



And the ONLY way, truth, and life.

The Vine and the branches

1"(A)I am the true vine, and My Father is the (B)vinedresser.

2"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

3"(C)You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4"(D)Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he (E)bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

6"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is (F)thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

7"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, (G)ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.


In other words, talk to Jesus often. This passage also means be active for Christ, but I want to concentrate on the relationship part.

Lately I've been getting up late and having to either rush through devotions or skip them entirely. I've noticed the difference. Don't spend quality time with God and things get out of wack pretty fast.

It's so important once your a Christain to devote valued time to talking to Jesus, reading the Bible, and praying for others. And not just fifteen minutes of your time either, although that's a start.

Hmmm, not much else to say, although I do know this is way ahead of what we are supposed to be reading.